APG & Other 1911 Semi-Auto Ckeck Sheets

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AMERICAN PISTOLSMITHíS GUILD
MODEL 1911 SEMIAUTOMATICS AND OTHERS
CHECK SHEETS
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Each sheet item or modification cited is required unless otherwise noted. Although optional modifications are not required, they can add to the quality of the gun and will, consequently, favorably impress the examiners. In a formal inspection, field representatives and annual meeting examiners will apply the following notation to the blanks provided at the left margin:

S: Satisfactory

U: Unsatisfactory

NA: Not applicable

These sheets were devised for the Colt Model 1911 and the various clones and may not be applicable to other autoloaders. In the event the applicant submits an autoloader not properly covered by these sheets, the officers, at their discretion, will appoint a committee of competent members to examine such pistols.

Feel free to contact Guild officers with any questions.

I. TRIGGER FITTING AND TUNING

1.) Match trigger installation:

a.) Trigger should move freely with no vertical or horizontal play.

b.) Trigger must have some, take up slack, for safety.

c.) The trigger overtravel screw should be adjusted so the hammer does not bump the sear when the trigger is pulled, the grip safety held in, and the trigger rotated and cycled by hand. Screw should be properly staked.
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d.) The trigger should be properly beveled on the bottom so the sear spring does not contact the trigger bow before contacting the bow.

e.) The yoke should not overhang the magazine well and bind the magazine.

f.) The disconnector should be polished on the front and rear of its paddle, maintaining the proper bevels. The disconnector should not catch in the frame disconnector hole and should not have excessive forward and back motion
2.) Sears:
a.) Sear should have full and free movement throughout its entire range of movement.

b.) Sear must have the proper and safe angle where it engages the hammer hooks, polished on the bottom legs, and polished where the engagement spring leg contacts the left leg.

c.) Sear springs should be properly prepped with the sides trued and flattened, the working tips polished, and all bends in keeping with factory arch and tensions.
3.) Hammers:
a.) Hammer must have hooks beveled, polished, and not cut below .018".

b.) Hammer must have .005" to .010" clearance cuts on either side of the thumb spur to minimize frame contact.

c.) The hammer should rotate freely throughout its entire range of movement.

d.) The hammer should not follow the slide when the trigger is held back, or not held back, when the slide is violently released without a cartridge in the magazine.

e.) The hammer halfcock notch should be trimmed approximately .035" on each side so the sear will not be damaged if the hammer falls to halfcock.

f.) When the hammer is resting in the forward position, there should be no perceptible slack or free play. The hammer spring (mainspring) should be applying constant pressure on the hammer strut even when the hammer is all the way forward, at rest, and in the fired position.

g.) Hammer and sear pivot pins should be a slip fit into the frame, but should not pivot when the hammer or sear is moved.

4.) Mainspring housing:
_ a.) The housing should meet the bottom of the grip safety with plenty of contact between the two parts and just enough gap to allow the parts to work freely.

b.) The mainspring (hammer spring) should be flat ground on each end and polished. The sides can also be flat ground and polished.

c.) The mainspring cap should have the top ground down so it is in the highest position and still be able to effectively capture the hammer strut without slipping.

d.) The mainspring cap retaining pin should hold the cap square and flush within the housing.

e.) The mainspring housing should fit tightly and be flush with the bottom of the frame. The housing pin should be tight and not move under slight pressure.
5.) Trigger function/pull weight:
a.) Trigger should be free of creep and catches, although, on combat or duty guns, a slight amount of creep will be permitted for safety.

b.) Pull weight should be adjusted to suit the specific application, the skill level of the shooter, and the quality of the components used. The typical range of trigger pull weight is from 3.5 to 5 pounds using real weight and not spring gauges.

III. SLIDE TO FRAME FIT AND RELATED MODIFICATIONS
1.) Slide to frame fit:
a.) Side and vertical play must be reduced to a minimum that will allow the slide to move freely on the frame. Note: Clearly not all applications require the same degree of slide to frame fit. However, guns submitted for review should show evidence of fitting done properly, regardless of application.

b.) Slide should not bind at any point, moving upon the frame. Once the gun is assembled, the slide should release quickly from the battery position.

c.) The slide rails should be smooth and clear of machining and hammer marks.
2.) Ejector/extractor fit and function:

a.) The extractor should be correctly beveled, adjusted, polished, and have the correct tension. The bottom of the hook and bottom of the groove should be rounded and polished.

b.) The ejector should be proper for the caliber, not touching the slide, but blended into the rear of the slide for a finished appearance. It should be down and tight against the frame.

b.) Bushings should fit the slide tightly and have to be removed with a wrench.

c.) The bushing should let the barrel slide through with minimal clearance and without resistance and should allow the barrel to cam up into the battery position without springing back.

d.) The match barrel should be relieved, turned down, at least .005" for about .250" behind the muzzle to allow free cycling of the barrel when coming out of battery.
2.) Barrel to hood fit:
a.) Should be fitted to the face of the slide with minimum clearance.

b.) When the barrel is pushed up into the slide, there should be no springback.

c.) Sides of the hood should have minimum clearance and barrel should not rock from side to side.

d.) There should be no fore and aft movement when the barrel is in battery.

e.) Barrel should drop free from the battery position with minimal or no pressure on the top of the barrel.

3.) Barrel lugs and lockup:
a.) The match barrel should be installed so the slide stop is contacting both bottom lugs and the rear, top locking lug is contacting its notch in the slide, "TOP DEAD CENTER." Barrel top, rear lug must be marked.

b.) Gun should lock and unlock smoothly without hitching or hesitation.

c.) Top of the barrel should not rub the slide when locking and unlocking to prevent rolling the edges of the slide locking recess.

d.) Welded lugs should follow the same rules as oversize fitted barrels and should not show excessive heating in critical areas.

e.) The barrel link should move freely and serve to unlock the barrel, only, from the battery position. The link should not stop the barrels rear movement as it goes into the loading position.
4.) Chamber and throating:
a.) Headspace should be set to SAAMI specifications.

b.) Loaded cartridges should drop freely into the chamber and not protrude past the rear of the hood.

c.) The barrel chamber should be opened at the bottom large enough to allow the largest hollowpoint or the shortest wadcutter to enter without catching or slowing down on the bottom rim.

d.) The bottom of the barrel chamber should be approximately .031" (in front of the frame ramp
when the barrel is installed in the frame and the slide stop holding it in place.
5.) Compensators:
a.) The compensator should do the job for which it was intended.

b.) Clearance at the exit port should be approximately .010" to .020" (.005" to 010" per side).

c.) Clearance between the front of the slide and the rear of the compensator should be enough (approximately .003") to allow the barrel to go into battery without the two touching and hammering.

d.) Cone (bushingless) style compensators should be tight when in battery position, having no felt horizontal or vertical play.
e.) The rear of the compensator and the slide should fit together with at least .002" gap. They should not touch or hammer each other.
f.) The lines of the slide should carry into the compensator smoothly.

***NOTE: BUSHINGLESS OR CONE STYLE BARRELS SHOULD LOCK UP AS TIGHTLY IN THE BATTERY POSITION AS A BUSHING BARREL, WITH NO DISCERNABLE MOVEMENT, AT THE MUZZLE, VERTICALLY OR HORIZONTALLY.
IV. ACCURACY
1.) All accuracy testing on match pistols will be performed at fifty yards.

2.) All groups shall be ten rounds shot from a machine rest.

3.) Group size for all ten shots shall be no larger than three inches, measured from center to center.

V. FIT AND FUNCTION OF PERFORMANCE ASSESSORIES AND RELATED MODIFICATIONS
1.) Magazine wells:
a.) Whether the full welded type or the Smith Alexander style, the well should be blended with the bottom of the frame so there is very little evidence of a joint.

b.) There should be no overhanging edges to catch the edges of the magazine and the well should be polished and smooth.

2.) Safeties:
a.) All factory safety devices should be in place and fully functioning.
b.) A custom grip safety should be fitted so it works properly. It should be fitted so the metal of the frame and the safety blend together squarely with little side play. When the safety is in the safe position, you should be able to pull the trigger and not detect any movement of the hammer or feel any movement of the sear, whatsoever.

c.) If the grip safety arm has been stretched by peening, there should be no signs of cracking or over working. If there is, the arm must be welded and repaired or replaced.

d.) The thumb safety should move freely, but firmly into the safe position and come back to the safe position with a firm snap. It should not scrap or mar the frame finish when moved.

e.) All safety features must be checked for safe operations, grip and thumb safeties, the disconnector, and halfcock notch.
3.) Sights:
a.) Front sights, dovetailed, staked, or crimped, should be square and flush on the bottom and parallel to the length of the slide.

b.) Dovetail sights should be nicely blended and not show daylight under the sight base or blade sections resting on the slide top surface.

c.) A rear sight installed in an existing factory dovetail or modified dovetail should be straight and square and without any metal chips or burrs pushed up along the edges of the dovetail.

d.) A rear sight installed in the low mount position should not have any light showing under or around the base where the slide was milled away. The milling cuts should be square with the bottom of the slide. BoMar sights can hang over the rear of the slide on series 80 Colt Model 1911's or on other variants having firing pin block devices located in the top and rear of the slide.

e.) Scope mounts, whether side or top mounted, must be installed straight and true to the axis of the bore and should hold the scope properly without warping or bending it out of line. DO NOT DEFACE SERIAL NUMBERS WHEN INSTALLING MOUNTS.
VI. Finishing
1.) Metal preparation:
a.) Surfaces should be ripple free, the corners sharp, and screw holes crisp. Machine and rough polish marks should be removed.

b.) Screw heads should be clean and free of burrs and damage.

c.) Welding should not show hardness that shows in the bluing or plating. It should be free of pits and inclusions.

d.) Solder joints should be free of gaps. No excess solder should show.

b.) Matte finishes should be even and free of over-spray, especially in the bore.
3.) Checkering:
a.) Should be even, with parallel lines, sharp, and free of runovers and mistakes.

b.) Bordered checkering should have straight borders parallel to the lines of the checkering.
4.) Stippling:
a.) Should be uniform.
b.) Sharp corners should be intact.
c.) Impressions should not show on the inside of the stippled area.

VI. MISCELLANEOUS MODIFICATIONS:
FIELD INSPECTORS GENERAL REMARKS AND OBSERVATIONS: